Completed work

• Part 1: #2343
  • Management API
  • General API
  • Overlay API
  • Stats and Achievements API
  • Wrote a new Async system for ENIGMA. The structure is explained in detail in GSoC '23 - Week 6 & 7: Ooooh great, Async is the big boss now!
  • Documentation
• Part 2: #2350
  • Leaderboards API
  • Maintained ENIGMA's Json extension
  • Social API

    This API is tested under AST-Generation branch, which contains the buffer work from previous GSoC 2022 project. Social API depends on that buffer work.

  • Testing
    • GTests and SOGs
    • Extensions Stubs
    • Steamworks Fake API (AKA Mocking)
  • Documentation

Final Project Structure

                        
    Steamworks
    ├── gameclient
    │   ├── steambinder
    │   │   ├── SteamFake
    │   │   │   └── sdk
    │   │   │       ├── public
    │   │   │       │   └── steam    
    │   │   │       │       ├── *.h
    │   │   │       │       └── *.cpp    
    │   │   │       │    
    │   │   │       └── README.md  
    │   │   │
    │   │   ├── SteamvXXX
    │   │   │   └── sdk
    │   │   │       ├── public
    │   │   │       │   └── steam    
    │   │   │       │       └── *.h    
    │   │   │       │    
    │   │   │       └── Readme.txt    
    │   │   │
    │   │   ├── .gitignore
    │   │   ├── steambinder.h
    │   │   └── steambinder.cpp
    │   │
    │   ├── utils
    │   │   ├── *.h
    │   │   └── *.cpp
    │   │
    │   ├── gameclient.h
    │   ├── gameclient.cpp
    │   ├── *.h
    │   └── *.cpp
    │
    ├── steamworks_demo
    │   ├── *
    │   └── demo.project.gmx
    │
    ├── .gitignore
    ├── About.ey
    ├── implement.h
    ├── include.h
    ├── CMakelists.txt
    ├── Makefile
    ├── README.md
    ├── *.svg
    ├── steamworks.h
    ├── steamworks.cpp
    ├── *.h
    └── *.cpp
                        
                    

Work To Be Done

• Lobbies API
• Cloud API (My only missed goal)
• DLC API
• UGC API
• Inventory API
• Networking API
• Input API
• Utils API
• Fixing the memory leak inside the Fake API. Check Steamworks/gameclient/SteamFake/sdk/public/steam/fake_steam_api_internal.cpp
• Implementing a new draw function for drawing leaderboards.
• Getting an AppId and upload a game on Steam for testing.
• Cleaning up and organizing the new Async System to match Robert's needs.
• There is a bunch of TODOs in the #2350's description that need to be done as well.
• Currently, all the documentation is in the code files, it should exists in the docs/Wiki/Category:Function:ENIGMA as well.
• Adding support for other platforms in the Steam Binder as it currently supports Ubuntu Linux only. Testing Steamworks extension on other Linux distros is the easier part. Windows requires MSVC support for ENIGMA which is a project on its own. Upgrading the engine's build system from GNU Make to CMake will make it more easier (#2334). Currently, ENIGMA is failing on macOS which means we can't test the Steamworks extension on it yet.
• Implement user functions related to #2349.
• Work on LGM and RGM GUI with the Steamworks extension.
• currently, ENIGMA's asset array class doesn't support pointers, so maybe we need to look into that as well.

List of merged patches

Note that related/unrelated means that the patch is related/unrelated to the Steam SDK integration project.

List of unmerged patches

Note that related/unrelated means that the patch is related/unrelated to the Steam SDK integration project.

Other patches

Challenges faced and Learnt Lessons

• I started working on Windows on this project until I faced an ABI (Application Binary Interface) problem. I explained this problem in my proposal and expected that I won't face it but I did. I spent nearly 3-5 days trying to figure out where is the problem until my mentor suggested building the same code using GCC and MSVC. As expected the code worked well on MSVC but it gives SEGMENTATION FAULT on GCC. I switched to Linux after this problem.
• Implementing a new Async system for ENIGMA. As the old Async system is not thread safe. Robert helped with implementing the new one.

• Solving CI problem by 2 steps:

  1. Creating the Steamworks Fake API.
  2. Creating Stubs for the Steamworks and DataStructures extensions.

  There are 2 approaches when creating the Fake API:

  1. Linking the libsteam_api.so statically in the Makefile file.
  2. Linking a Fake API (AKA Mocking) statically in the Makefile file and load the real libsteam_api.so dynamically at runtime.

  I started with the first approach until I realized the CI problem. The CI needs to know which API (Fake/Real API) to link statically. We want to link the Fake API when running tests (GTests and SOGs (Single Object Games)) but at the same time we want to link the Real API when running a real game. There is only one solution for this problem:

  1. Sending a flag when running tests to indicate that we are running tests and we need to link the Fake API. When running from the IDE, this flag won't be sent so we will link the Real API.

  Instead, fundies suggested the second approach. This approach requires adding another layer between the Steamworks SDK and Game Client layers. I will call this layer Steam Binder.

• Implementing the Steamworks Fake API. I had to dig deeper into Steamworks official headers to understand how the API works and then mock main interfaces.

Steam SDK Integration Demo On YouTube

Acknowledgement

الحَمْدُ لِله دائما وأبدا

First things first, Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the success of my Google Summer of Code 2023 project. This journey would not have been possible without the support, guidance, and collaboration of many individuals and organizations.

First and foremost, I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to Robert, Josh, Russell (rpjohnst), Patrick (Hugar), and Greg (fundies), my mentors throughout this program. Their expertise, patience, and continuous guidance have been invaluable. I have learned immeasurable skills and insights under their mentorship.

Thank you.